Chapter IX: Meditation
The wise Loqman used to sit alone for long. His master came to him and asked: O Loqman, you sit alone for long. It would have been better if you have sat with the people. Loqman replied: To sit alone for long is profitable as it is a step towards Paradise. The great Caliph Omar-bin-Abdul Aziz said: Good thought is a blessing of God in divine service. The great saint Basher Hafi said: If the people ponder over the glory of God, they cannot be disobedient to Him. Hazrat Ibn Abbas said: Two Rakats of middle kind of prayer with meditation is better than inattetive prayer for the whole night. The great saint Abu Solaiman Darani said: To think of worldly affairs is an impediment of next worldly affairs and a punishment for the friends of God. Wisdom arises is thoughts of the next world and mind becomes active and alive. The great saint Hatem said: Experience increase wisdom, remembrance increases love and thoughts increases fear. It is said that God says in one of His scriptures: I don't accept the prayer of every wise man, but I look to his object and greed. If I see his object and mind for Me, I make his silence thoughtful and his words praiseworthy although he does not speak. The great saint Daud Tai once got up the roof of his house in a moon lit night and began to ponder over the creations of the heavens and the earth and to weep turning his look towards the heaven, so much so that he fell down upon the roof of his neighbpur. The owner of the house jumped up naked from his sleep and took a sword thinking that a thief had come. When he saw Daud Tai, he kept down the sword and asked him: Who has thrown you from the roof? He said: I don't know.
The great saint Junaid said: The most honourable and highest assembly is to enjoy the air of Ma'rfat sitting in a meditative mood in the field of Tauhid, to drink in a cup of love from the sea ofZikr and to look having a good idea of God, Imam Shafeyi said: Think before solemn promise, think before action, consult before proceeding. He also said: Four things are useful - (1) wisdom and its provision is thought, (2) patience and its provision is greed, (3) power and its provision is anger. (4) and sense of judgement and its provision is to keep the strength of passion in the middle path.
VoI-IV PONDERING OVER GOOD 373
These are a few sayings of the wise about thinking and pondering.
WHAT IS THOUGHT AND ITS RESULT?